Biography

St. John Climacus was born around the year 579. Upon becoming a monk, he spent several decades as a hermit. His emphasis on prayer and its process led him to write The Ladder of Divine Ascent. The book is 30 chapters long to coincide with Jesus’ 30 years of life before calling his disciples. In this work he discusses an ascetic method of prayer which included repetition, controlling one’s breathing, and assuming a specific body position while praying. This method is often referred to as the Jesus prayer or the Hesychast tradition. Climacus was appointed to be an abbot for the last decade of his life. Climacus died around the year 649.

Wailand Groenendyk
CCEL Staff Writer